Meeting Chris, Part IV

I pulled into the parking lot of the Ramada Inn around 4pm. I had gone home to change and freshen up a bit before getting there, so I was about a half an hour late getting there and I was hoping that the seat next to Mona’s sister had been taken. When I walked into the lounge, I saw everyone sitting around a big, round table---there must have been at least twenty people there, and there was only one seat available. It was not next to Mona’s sister. I didn’t recognize the woman in the seat next to the vacant one, but on her right was Nancy, another English teacher at the school. As I walked over to the empty seat, Bob called out, “Well, it’s about time you got here.” He looked over at Mona and the woman sitting next to her and grinned. “We managed to hold on to one empty chair, though…over by Nancy’s friend there.”

As I sat down next to here, I held out my hand and introduced myself. “Allan Jackson, “I said as she took my hand.

“Chris Parson,” she answered. “Looks like we’re both new to this group.”

“Good,” I grinned, “we can protect each other. I’ve never been in a room with so many teachers drinking.” I paused as I poured a beer from the pitcher on the table. “We could be in trouble.”

“I hope so,” she said, smiling back at me and raising her glass. “I’m a teacher too.”